London Heathrow is the UK's largest airport and a gateway for many of our destinations worldwide.

Whether you’re looking for the best places to eat and shop or want to find out about airport facilities, we'll help you get the most out of your time at the airport.

You can find key information on arriving into London Heathrow, getting to and from the airport, as well as your journey through to boarding the aircraft on the separate pages for Terminal 3 and Terminal 5.

If you're connecting at Heathrow, you can find an overview of the process at the airport and FAQs on the flight connections page.

Which London airport and terminal?

British Airways operates from London Heathrow Terminal 3 and Terminal 5, as well as London City, London Gatwick and London Stansted airports. If you’re not sure where your flight is departing from or arriving into you can use our Which London airport and terminal tool.

Flight information

The Heathrow experience

Heathrow airport continues to be recognised as one of the world’s leading airports, having been named “Best Airport in Western Europe” for the past five years running and “Best Airport for Shopping” for a record-breaking 10 years in a row by travellers in the Skytrax World Travel Awards. Terminal 5, home of British Airways, has been named ‘World’s Best Airport Terminal’ six times in its 11-year history.

Airport services

From Parking to Porters, Personal Shopping to a guided Meet & Assist service, Heathrow airport offers a range of services to help make your journey through the airport a more relaxed one.

If you or a family member would benefit from assistance through the airport, Heathrow’s Meet & Assist service offers a personal guide who will take you right through the airport, providing travel tips, and helping you complete procedures at security, immigration and baggage drop off and collection.

To help both departing and arriving passengers with their luggage either to or from their chosen method of transport, Heathrow’s Porters service can be pre-booked up to 48 hours before travel.

Whether you’re in a hurry, or just fancy being pampered, Heathrow offer a number of shopping services such as personal shopping, reserve and collect and home delivery.

With over 100 cafes, restaurants and bars, you can choose from family-friendly options, including children’s menus and ‘kids eat free’ policies, to those catering for various dietary needs or serving meals in just 15 minutes for those in a hurry.

When it comes to your travels, we understand how important it is to plan ahead. That’s why we’ve partnered with ParkVia to offer a wide range of parking options at UK and international airports, making it easier to reserve, park and jet off with peace of mind. Whether you’re looking for secure airport parking, the convenience of valet parking or an airport hotel with parking – we’re sure to have the right option to suit your travel needs.

The fastest way between Central London and Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Express is the fastest way between Central London and Heathrow Airport, taking just 15 minutes from Terminal 3 and 21 minutes from Terminal 5. This is compared to 42 minutes in a taxi and 51 minutes on the Piccadilly Underground line.

Customers enjoy an excellent on board experience with complimentary 4G Wi-Fi, a power socket at your seat, dedicated luggage space and easy access.

Children aged 15 and under travel for free on Heathrow Express, making it a family friendly way to get to and from Heathrow from Central London.

In the Business First class carriages you can enjoy complimentary newspapers and magazines, more leg room, wider seats, a personal table and on-board TV.

Executive Club Members can also collect 5 Avios for every £1 spent on tickets exclusively booked via ba.com.

Airport transfers to suit your needs

If you’re looking for a transfer to or from Heathrow, HolidayTaxis offer a wide choice of vehicles, including cars, minibuses and limousines, that suit different travellers’ needs. All transfers come with 24/7 customer service and emergency cover, giving you total peace of mind.

Plus, you can now book one of Heathrow’s all-electric, zero-emissions transfer vehicles to get you to and from the airport with minimal environmental impact.

If you live outside the EU you can claim back the 20% UK sales tax (VAT) for many things bought in the United Kingdom. When you make the purchase, ensure you keep the receipt and request a tax refund form from the retailer. These can be processed at the airport at either:

The Travelex counter (before security) for items that will be packed into checked baggage or

Customs (after security) for jewellery, electrical items worth more than £250 or items that will be packed into hand baggage.

Queues for this service can be long so please factor in additional time at the airport and ensure you come prepared with the completed documentation.

Other services

As well as the shopping and dining experience, Heathrow airport also offers a great range of facilities for connectivity, family travel and last minute travel essentials.

Pick up your last minute essentials with foreign exchange bureaus open from 05:30 until the last flight departs, pharmacies in all terminals and cash machines both before and after security.

For those travelling with children, baby changing facilities are available in all terminals, with additional nursing rooms in Terminal 3. To help keep your children entertained, play areas are available in all Terminals 3 and 5 (children must be accompanied by an adult at all times).

If you require additional support at the airport you can find wheelchair accessible toilets,induction loops and help points throughout the airport.

Help and contacts

See our FAQs and contact information for any questions about your journey.